By Eva Rachert – Contributor

Said Alan Watts. Nevertheless, here we are to talk about the latest edition of The Mitre – Bark & Bite. The Mitre is Canada’s oldest student-run creative journal, and an institution within Bishop’s University, where it has been published since its first edition in 1893. The 2024-2025 Mitre is the 132^nd annual edition, platforming visual art, poetry, and short fiction from Bishop’s students and staff alongside Sherbrooke community members. Working on The Mitre as a co-editor was an experience that provided me with greater insight into the fine arts and creative writing communities in Lennoxville. We received written contributions from members of Wit & Whimsy poetry club and the Creative Writing Club, and visual submissions from fine art final portfolios — equally, however, we received pieces from students across the science and business departments. 

My co-editor and I decided on Bark & Bite as the theme for this edition of The Mitre. With this theme, we hoped to spark a conversation within the publication about the delineation between humanity and animal nature. We also wanted to recognize the ecosystems in which we live, centering the text within a larger environment. Bark & Bite was intended to serve as an introduction to a discussion of action and consequence, acknowledging the complexities of passivity in the face of conflict and of acting through impulse. Contributors were not expected to engage with the theme to direct their creation, but nonetheless we found the questions of Bark & Bite worked effectively as a throughline in the pieces we received. 

The Mitre: Bark & Bite will be available in the coming weeks at Doolittle’s Co-op. There will be a launch party in Cleghorn Hall on Monday, April 7. The launch will be run in conjunction with the annual English Department party. The launch is open to all and will be a celebration of the tradition of art and writing at Bishop’s. 

Students, staff, and community members who want to explore their creative capacities in writing and visual art are encouraged to submit to future editions of The Mitre. Additionally, students who are interested in promoting and engaging with the arts community at Bishop’s and in Lennoxville may want to consider applying for a co-editing position with The Mitre for the 2025-2026 year. The position is useful and informative for anyone who is curious about the technicalities of working in publishing, connecting with the Anglophone writing tradition in Quebec, or developing and supporting student engagement on the Bishop’s campus. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to work on this storied publication, and hope that other students in future years are able to take advantage of this same position.